Blackmail
by Toby Charles
Summary: Lucy finds a way to get Benjamin out of jail using blackmail but when things go horribly wrong, it may cost her the most important thing in her life.


It had been a week since Benjamin Barker had been put in jail on a false charge. Lucy begged Judge Turpin again and again to get him out and she was constantly trying to come up with a plan to get him out herself. She sat down with Nellie and asked her if she had any ideas but Nellie told her it was hopeless.

"There's absolutely nothin' you can do, love. You can't help him now" said Nellie

"I am not just going to give up. He needs me and I know there's something I can do," said Lucy.

Nellie got a sad look on her face, sighed, and stood up. She gave Lucy a hug and walked over to her counter to roll some dough.

"I won't let him stay there, Nellie. I know I can get him out," said Lucy.

One night, Judge Turpin paid Lucy a visit. He told her there was something very important they needed to talk about and sat down in front of her. He told her there was another woman he had fallen in love with and he wouldn't be going after her anymore. She asked if that meant he would let Benjamin out of prison but he just laughed and said no. Then he left.

"You see, dear, there's nothin' you can do. The judge will never let him go," said Nellie.

"I'll find a way," said Lucy.

The next night, Lucy went for a walk and saw Judge Turpin walking next to the husband of the woman he fell in love with. Turpin didn't want to send this man away like he did Benjamin because he didn't want people to get suspicious and realize he just sent those men away to get their wives. He had to get rid of this man somehow so when he thought no one was looking, he stabbed him in the chest and killed him. Then he made the Beadle bury the body somewhere. The next day, Lucy went to Turpin's house to tell him that she knew what he did and would tell the police if he didn't let Benjamin out of jail. Turpin threatened to kill her too but she told him that ten other people knew what he did as well and would tell the police about it if she missing or died. She told him he'd never get away with it and the judge agreed to release Benjamin. He told her he'd be returned home as soon as possible.

The next day, Benjamin was supposed to be coming home. She figured if she told the police anonymously what Judge Turpin did, then the Judge might not find out that she was the one who told. She went to the police with what she had seen and Turpin was arrested and put in jail but he didn't stay in jail long. He broke out that very day and went to catch Benjamin on his way home. Benjamin was walking down Fleet Street just one block away from home when Turpin jumped him. He hit him over the head with a bat and knocked him out. He carried him into an ally, put him in a bag, and drug him home. When they go there, Benjamin was still unconscious and the judge tied Benjamin's hands behind his back with a long rope. He took him up to a bedroom on the second floor and tied the other end of the rope to a pole to keep Benjamin from going anywhere.

Later that night, Lucy and Nellie were eating dinner and waiting for Benjamin to get home.

"I wonder where he could be, he should have been home by now. I should have gone to meet him, what if something happened to him," said Lucy.

"Not to worry, love. He'll be home any minute now," said Nellie.

"No, something's wrong. I can feel it. I have to go find him," said Lucy.

Lucy got up and walked to the door to look for Benjamin but was met by the Beadle just as she got there. The Beadle walked in with an evil smile on his face and pushed Lucy down in the closest chair to the door.

"There's somethin' you need to know ma'am," he said smiling bigger than ever. "Your Benjamin will not be returning to you tonight."

Lucy got a terrified look on her face and began to cry.

"Why? Where is he? What have you done to him?" Lucy screamed.

"You've made a terrible mistake ma'am. Did you really think we wouldn't know it was you who got Judge Turpin arrested? Did you think we'd let you get away with it?" said the Beadle.

Lucy began to cry harder and harder while the Beadle told her what happened.

"You need to come with me now if you want to see Benjamin again. The judge has something he wants to say to you," said the Beadle.

The Beadle tied Nellie up to a chair in the living room to keep her from going anywhere. Then, he and Lucy walked from the pie shop to Judge Turpin's house. Turpin took Lucy into his living room and sat her down on his couch. He looked at her with the same evil smile the Beadle gave her and began to laugh.

"You are in serious trouble, Mrs. Barker. You have gotten yourself into a very horrible situation that your husband will now suffer for," said the judge.

"What are you going to do? Why do you want to hurt Benjamin? I'm the one you're mad at. Please let him go," Lucy said while she began to cry again.

"No one blackmails Judge Turpin. You blackmailed me to get you husband back and when you got what you wanted, you had me arrested. You swore you'd never tell the police what I did if I released your husband. You didn't keep up your end of the deal and now, you're going to pay," said Judge Turpin.

The Beadle pulled Lucy out of her seat and they followed the judge upstairs to the room Benjamin was in. The Beadle held Lucy while Turpin took the Beadle's cane and swung it as hard as he could at Benjamin's belly. Benjamin fell to his knees and leaned forward while Turpin raised the cane to hit him again.

"Please stop! I'm the one you're mad at! Please leave my husband alone!" Lucy begged.

"This is the best way, Mrs. Barker. The best way to make you sorry is for you to watch your husband suffer for your actions," said the judge. "Your husband has done nothing wrong, but he's about to die because of you."

He brought the cane down again and hit Benjamin in the back so hard that it broke one of the arms that was tied behind his back. Then, they heard someone walk in the front door. Turpin pushed Lucy against the wall.

"We'll get rid of whoever it is and then you're going to watch me kill you husband right after you go outside to dig his grave," Turpin said.

The Beadle and Turpin drug Lucy downstairs to see who was there. It was Nellie. She had gotten herself untied and ran over to help Lucy and Benjamin. She ran in holding a gun out in front of her but the Beadle snuck up behind her and knocked her out with his cane. He then tied her up again and took Lucy outside to dig Benjamin's grave.

"You and the judge will never get away with this," Lucy said while she tearfully dug a grave for her precious husband. "You be hanged and burn in Hell for this."

As they walked back inside, Lucy pulled away from the Beadle and grabbed Nellie's gun that was still lying on the floor. Nellie woke up after a few moments and when Lucy untied her, she ran to get the police while Lucy held Turpin and the Beadle there until they got there Turpin and the Beadle were arrested and Lucy ran upstairs to untie Benjamin. As soon as Benjamin was untied, the two of them embraced despite Benjamin's broken arm and Lucy kissed him repeatedly on the cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Benjamin. I'm so very sorry, sweetheart," she said sobbing. "I never meant to cause this, baby. I love you more anything or anyone else in the whole world. I never meant to put you through this."

"Relax love, non of this was your fault. We're safe now," said Benjamin.

They went home and lived happily ever after while Judge Turpin and the Beadle were locked away for life.


End file.
